Imaging systems may include focal plane arrays (FPA) and processing circuitry to facilitate capturing an image. A focal plane array comprises a plurality of photodetectors arranged in an array to sense incident light in visible and/or non-visible spectra. The processing circuitry receives signals representative of the incident light sensed by the photodetectors and generates an image therefrom.
FPA imaging systems may be constructed using either a staring FPA or a scanning FPA system. Staring FPA systems are constructed to capture an image of an entire field of view simultaneously. Staring FPA systems generally employ a 2-Dimensional array of photodetectors (e.g., a square array of photodetectors) to analyze light representative of the entire field of view simultaneously. In contrast, scanning FPAs are constructed to scan over the desired field of view to form an image. Scanning FPAs are generally 1-Dimensional arrays of photodetectors (e.g., a single row of photodetectors) or short 2-Dimensional arrays of photodetectors (e.g., a narrow rectangular array of photodetectors). Scanning FPA systems typically use a rotating or oscillating mirror to scan light from the scene across the scanning photodetector array.